Safety cigarette lighter for motor vehicles



Oct. 23, 1951 o. HANSON 2,572,475 SAFETY CIGARETTE LIGHTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed May 13, 1949 20 l 22 I9 2 1'7 23 2 4 l L a w l m 7! 2'7 4 i 2 '2 F: v 32 j I .g/ ,2 2/

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I Oscar Han son 29 i flmjiamafi ATTD RN EYB Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED"; sures: OFFICE.-

SAFETY CIGARETTE LIGHTER FOR; I VEHICLES Oscar Hanson, Portland, reg., assignorof foursixthsto, Harold H. Hans on. and Ed mond. ,C. n o b h of a aM att e ni e. Hanson, PortIand OI-eg Marjoriel]. Dietrich, Pasco, Wash.,- Delores W.'- "Ley, Kennewick, l Wash., jointly; one-sixthto J. 'Hyche and-- one-sixth to N. B.:Ludowese,:-both of. Portland,

Oregt ppl c t ni a .8 ria ...No-.93 l

1 Claim..

This invention relates to ;cigarette lighters of the type used on instrument boards ofmotor vehicles and in particular animproved cigarette lighter having a vertically disposed -tube into which a cigarette is droppedand in which the cigarette is lighted byaheatingelement in the tube which is energized by snapping a knob extended from the-lower end of the tube upwardly in the tube.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved cigarette lighter for motor. vehicle which eliminates the necessityof an operator.

holding a lighter elementinwardly until heated and then holding the lighter element and cigarette may be droppedand lighted; and "then removed with one hand ,and by; touch or;feel so that an operator of a motor vehicle-,maylight a cigarette without ,taking his eyes from the road.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming a cigarette lighter that may be positioned on the instrument board of a motor vehicle into which a cigarette may be dropped, lighted, and removed without removing or replacing elements of the lighter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vertically disposed cigarette lighter for motor vehicles in which a conventional lighter element is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette lighter for instrument boards of motor vehicles into which a cigarette may be dropped, lighted and then removed with one hand, which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention embodies a vertically disposed tubular casing with an inner sleeve insulated from the casing and providing a contact, a supporting tube extended from one side of the casing and having a current carrying bolt positioned therein and insulated therefrom with the bolt connected to the inner contacting sleeve in the casing, and a conventional lighter element frictionally retained in the lower end of the casing and positioned to engage the contacting sleeve and also positioned to contact the lower end of a cigarette dropped into the upper end of the casing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appearfromfthe following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the cigarette lighter showing an upright tube with theknob of alighter element extended from the lower end thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the cigarettelighter showing a cigarette thereinand illustrating the position of the lighter element with the knob snapped upwardly to the heating position; t

Figure 3 is a similar section with the knob of the lighter element automatically snapped downwardly to disconnect the heating "-coil and'with the lowerend of the knob brokenfaway Figure 4 is a sectional plan-through the cigarette lighter taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 with the cigarette removed and with part of the-mounting elements broken away.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts theimprovedcigarette lighter of this invention includes a tubular casing l 0 that is illustrated as positioned with the axis extended upwardly although it will be understood that this casing may be turned toward either side withthe axis slightly inclined so that it is convenient for the operator of a vehicle to drop a cigarette into the upper end thereof without turning his eyes toward the lighter.

The casing I0 is provided with a laterally disposed supporting tube or shank ll having a threaded outer end 12 by which the lighter is mounted in an instrument panel l3 of a motor vehicle with washers l4 and IS on opposite sides of the panel and with the parts held by a lock nut IS. The tube I l is provided with an insulating bushing I! through which a bolt or stud I8 extends and a contact sleeve or band H, which is insulated from the casing in by an insulating sleeve 20 is connected to the irmer end of the bolt. Current is supplied to the bolt through a wire 2| which is secured to the outer end of the bolt through locking elements 22 and 23. An opening 24 is provided through the casing III, insulating sleeve 20 and contact sleeve IQ for oxygen intake and so that one may determine whether or not the heating element is operating.

Depending spring clips 25 are provided on the lower edge of the contact sleeve I9 and as a conventional lighter element 26 is pressed upwardly into the lower end of the casing in a bead 21 on the upper end thereof snaps into the spring clips to retain the lighter element in the casing. The lighter element is also provided with a ring 28 of slip spring fingers that also frictionally retain the lighter element in the casing. The lighter element is provided with a knob 29 which normally extends downwardly with the heating coil 39 of the lighter element disengaged, and when the knob 29 is pressed upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 the heating coil 3|] is energized and the heat thereof is sufiicient to light a cigarette with the lower end resting thereon as shown in Figure 2 in which the cigarette is indicated by the numeral 31. After a predetermined time the actuator of the lighter snaps the knob 29 downwardly thereby breaking the circuit to the element 30 which deenergizes the heating element. The heating element will then remain cool until the knob 29 is again pressed upwardly.

To facilitate pressing the knob 29 upwardly a clip 32 is provided on the side of the casing I0 and with the thumb of the hand of an operator resting on this clip the knob 29 may be forced upwardly by the first two fingers Of the hand.

With the parts arranged in this manner and with the cigarette lighter in an upright position on the instrument board of a motor vehicle or in any suitable position in the vehicle an operator of the vehicle may drop a cigarette into the upper end of the casing and press the knob upwardly to complete a circuit through the heating coil of the conventional cigarette lighter, the circuit being completed from the bolt 18 through the clips 25 and the circuit is grounded through spring fingers 28, casing [9, tube H and instrument panel I3.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a motor vehicle cigarette lighter, the combination which comprises a vertically disposed substantially hollow tube having open ends, a band having spaced spring fingers depending from the lower edge thereof mounted in the tube, insulated therefrom and positioned substantially midway of the length thereof, said hollow tube having a laterally disposed supporting tubular shank with a threaded outer end extended from 45 Number one side thereof, a stud extended from the said band through the shank and having a threaded outer end with current supplying wire connecting elements thereon, said stud being insulated from the shank and providing a contact for the band and spring fingers extended therefrom, said hollow tube and band having openings therethrough providing an air inlet and also means for observing lighting of a cigarette in the lighter, mounting elements positioned on the threaded end of the said shank, a lock nut threaded on the said shank and positioned to coact with the said mounting elements for securing the said hollow tube to an instrument panel of a motor vehicle, and a lighter element having a heating coil and a bead around the upper end and spring fingers extended from the intermediate part thereof and also having a knob extended from the lower end positioned in the said hollow tube, said lighter element leeing retained in position by the bead that is held in the said spring fingers on the band and providing means for completing a circuit from the band and stud and through the bead, heating coil and spring fingers of the lighter element to the instrument panel through the said hollow tube.

OSCAR HANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Boes Aug. 4, 1925 Pengilly Oct. 27, 1925 Simpson May 31, 1932 Claggett Feb. 12, 1935 Jay Apr. 16, 1935 Reyburn Mar. 16, 1942 Lehmann Feb. 9, 1943 Davis Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 19, 1931 Number 

